Decoding Teaching Resources
Build students' decoding skills with reading activities, printable worksheets and more teacher resources, all created by teachers for classrooms like yours.
This comprehensive collection is filled with resources aligned with the Australian English curriculum (V9.0 included!), and each resource has undergone the Teach Starter teacher team's thorough review process. Download resources you know you can add to your lesson plans immediately!
New to teaching students decoding strategies? Read on for a primer from our teacher team, including a look at how this skill plays into early literacy development and tips to help your students build their decoding savvy!
What Is Decoding in Reading?
It's something you likely know, but we like to start from the top, so let's dig into the meaning of decoding in a reading context. (Just want some ideas? Feel free to scroll down to our collection!)
Simply put, decoding is translating written words into spoken language.
Need a little more?
In early literacy education, decoding refers to the process of breaking words down into their individual sounds and then blending those sounds together to form recognisable words. As students build their skills, they are eventually able to decode — or read — increasingly more complicated written texts.
The process of encoding builds off of phonics instruction, understanding of sight words, pattern recognition and the use of context clues, helping students become fluent readers with strong comprehension skills.
Decoding vs. Encoding — What's the Difference?
When discussing decoding in early education, we typically talk about reading instruction. As noted above, we're teaching our students to decode — or translate — the written word into the spoken form.
Of course, we don't do this in isolation. Kids need to learn to encode too, and linking instruction of both has been shown to help students learn to be stronger readers and spellers.
So, what is encoding, and how does it differ from decoding?
In an educational context, encoding is the polar opposite, and we tend to use the term in regard to teaching kids to write. In its most basic forms, encoding involves learning to spell different words by representing the sounds with corresponding written letters.
Instead of translating written words into speech, encoding means teaching our students to translate spoken words into written words.
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Long Vowel Digraph Sort Cut-and-Paste
Reinforce your students' knowledge of long vowel digraphs with this set of cut-and-paste worksheets.
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Long E Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long e’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Long Vowel Digraph Writing Worksheet
Learn to encode long vowel digraphs with this set of writing worksheets.
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OW and OU Words - Word Search
Explore words containing ‘ow’ and ‘ou’ with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Diphthongs Worksheets
Practice diphthongs with this set of fun and engaging worksheets.
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Th Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the th digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Long O Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long o’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
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EE, EA and EY Vowel Team Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to EE, EA and EY vowel digraphs with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Consonant Digraph Cut-and-Paste Worksheets
Reinforce your students' knowledge of digraphs with this set of cut-and-paste worksheets.
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AI, AY and A_E Vowel Team Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to AI, AY, and A_E vowel digraphs with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Ch Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the ch digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Vowel Digraphs Worksheet Pack
Practise writing and enhancing knowledge of vowel digraphs with this worksheet pack.
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Long A Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long a’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Long I Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long i’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Long U Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long u’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Long OO Words - Word Search
Explore words containing some of the most common ‘long oo’ graphemes with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Long A Vowel Digraph Interactive Activity
Practise identifying the different graphemes that spell the long /a/ sound with this fun space-themed interactive activity.
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Long E Vowel Digraphs Interactive Activity
Practise identifying the different graphemes that spell the long /e/ sound with this fun space-themed interactive activity.
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Sh Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the sh digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Ng Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the ng digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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IE and I_E Vowel Team Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to IE and I_E vowel digraphs with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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Wh Digraph Lesson Resource Pack
Introduce students to the wh digraph with this set of teaching slides and mini activity book.
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My Diphthong Cheat Sheet
Help students learn all about diphthongs with this handy diphthong student reference sheet.
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Vowel Digraph Cover Up Game
Practise vowel teams with your students with this set of three fun partner cover up games.
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Consonant Digraph Phonics Journal
Help students remember and record words and examples of different consonant digraphs during your phonics lessons.
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Long I Vowel Digraphs Interactive Activity
Practise identifying the different vowel digraphs that spell the long /i/ sound with this fun iceberg-themed interactive activity.
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FIND IT! Consonant Digraphs Board Game
Practise decoding words that include 4 examples of consonant digraphs with our digraph flashcards and board game set.
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OI and OY Words - Word Search
Explore words containing ‘oi’ and ‘oy’ with this set of differentiated word searches.
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Printable Early Reader Books - Ocean Animals
Learn about sea life with a printable ocean book for year 1 students.
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Diphthong Fluency Charts
Practise reading out these word lists that contain different diphthongs with these fluency charts
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Final 'E' Worksheet Pack (I_E)
Explore words that make the 'long i' sound using the split i_e digraph with this set of 11 worksheets.
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Digraph Search and Find Worksheet Pack
Search for images that contain particular consonant digraphs with this worksheet pack.